The McFred midfield duo

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Hence why you need to look at percentages. But also percentages are only accurate if certain pairs have played a comparable amount of game.

That’s not how percentages work either.

If several pairs had played a single game then yeah, throw it out. But if you’re comparing those two, vs ALL OTHER PAIRINGS… it’s valid.

We suck with them together. But we win more. Cant argue. Even if you don’t support it.

 

[laughtersassassin]

That’s not how percentages work either.

If several pairs had played a single game then yeah, throw it out. But if you’re comparing those two, vs ALL OTHER PAIRINGS… it’s valid.

We suck with them together. But we win more. Cant argue. Even if you don’t support it.

Well this season we don't. Not yet anyway. But as I said their isn't enough data for this season.

 

[Litch]

It is what it is. You can't have that amount of attacking talent especially when they neither press nor track back enough, you need a midfield that is going to pick up the slack. Matic can't do it and Pogs doesn't want to. McFred will be the sticking plaster until potentially a new manager comes in with a different style of play and set up.

 

[Litch]

That’s not how percentages work either.

If several pairs had played a single game then yeah, throw it out. But if you’re comparing those two, vs ALL OTHER PAIRINGS… it’s valid.

We suck with them together. But we win more. Cant argue. Even if you don’t support it.

We def win more and as unfashionable the view, we don't get 3rd or 2nd without them. The reason the likes of Bruno and Pogs can score and assist with those kind of numbers, cause McFred are doing their dirty work. The biggest games generally under Ole reign in the PL and CL that we have won, McFred was the midfield.

 

[The Brown Bull]

They ain’t great but their our best pair in midfield at the moment.
Because our attackers don’t press.Not in any meaningful way.
Maguire is slow and afraid of being caught out so he drops 5-10 yards deeper than he should leaving huge gaps for our opponents to play in.
Genius process.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Did the Everton & Villa games not happen?

This duo is just as problematic as any other at the club but they tick the ‘pashun’ box in abundance.

2 week international break with a weekend off & they’ve suddenly rekindled that night in Paris without kicking a ball.

 

[Irwin99]

Agree with those who say it is still the best midfield combo available, make of that what you will. The club has had three years to try and fix this though and if Pogba can't play in a midfield two in the premier league or Matic is past it or VDB isn't good enough well you have to say that's the fault of our transfer business, planning and priorities. We've spent over 300 million as it is and have a barely functioning midfield

Still think we could have got shot of Matic and Pogba a year or so back with some money to reinvest.

 

[arnie_ni]

No surprise he's gone back to mcfred when hes under pressure

 

[Rook]

They're literally not even good at the thing he brings them in for.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Did the Everton & Villa games not happen?

This duo is just as problematic as any other at the club but they tick the ‘pashun’ box in abundance.

2 week international break with a weekend off & they’ve suddenly rekindled that night in Paris without kicking a ball.

McFred masterclass on display here.

 

[Borys]

I don't think it matters much who plays in midfield in this game vs Atalanta. The system They play is very effective against our flat back 6.

 

[Oranges038]

McT offers nothing to players on the ball. I posted in the match day thread that he runs around like he is tracking a runner. Instead of looking for space for a pass, he's looking for an Atalanta to get close to.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Another game where McFred start, play sh*t for around an hour for subs to occur & the result to change that will be spun as a ‘game we won with the duo starting’.

They’re as bad as any other duo we have & a number of games they start that we win one is pulled off with us drawing or behind.

 

[LJJT]

It’s the only midfield we can rely on

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

It’s the only midfield we can rely on

We were horrendous in the first half & losing when McTom came off, what was reliable this evening?

 

[prateik]

Whatever we do. we cant start with Pog and Bruno in a midfield 3...

Pick one.. then add 2 midfields.. give yourself a chance.

We need to improve on our choices for the other 2 though..

 

[Andycoleno9]

McT is the problem. Not Fred. Remove McT and we play something at least. With him, we don't play at all

 

[kouroux]

We were horrendous in the first half & losing when McTom came off, what was reliable this evening?

Nothing. They had their use before but not so much anymore

 

[Roboc7]

They run around a lot but aren’t very good, not much else to say.

 

[Hammondo]

So much better than vs Leicester.

 

[PlayerOne]

Worrying that the coaching staff think this pairing is the one to get out us of trouble. Everyone can see it but them it seems,

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

So much better than vs Leicester.

Another game where McFred start, play sh*t for around an hour for subs to occur & the result to change that will be spun as a ‘game we won with the duo starting’.

& so it begins.

 

[acnumber9]

We’re no more difficult to play through when they play. They just run around a little quicker.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Worrying that the coaching staff think this pairing is the one to get out us of trouble. Everyone can see it but them it seems,

Unless Ole vomits out two midfielders ready to play by the weekend, this is the best we have.

 

[BlahRules]

We’re no more difficult to play through when they play. They just run around a little quicker.

We played 433 in the second half which helped.

 

[Ekeke]

They had their moments in the first half too with McTom hitting the post etc. We wasted our attacks.

But we were at our best tonight when Pogba came on for McTominay and we put more pressure going forward

 

[LJJT]

We were horrendous in the first half & losing when McTom came off, what was reliable this evening?

Work harder than all the others. Don’t matter how good you are you’ve got to work hard

 

[PlayerOne]

Unless Ole vomits out two midfielders ready to play by the weekend, this is the best we have.

It clearly isn't. Not even based on this game, it's over long period of time.

 

[Jaxa]

Every single football fan, pundit , dog and cat said in the summer this area needs sorted as McFred are simply not good enough and the board thought because we signed Ronaldo we could somehow get away with it and sneak through and that really awful decision is hurting us badly right now ,

I get we are also lacking in good coaching but you would be so surprised at the difference one player can make to a team and if we had an actual highly skilled CDM it would make the world of difference to this team, it really would,

I get the feeling we’re holding out for Declan Rice which is all well and good but we could have easily sold Lingard & Donny in the summer for around 50m and used that to buy a CDM until we got Rice but we f***cked about as we usually do and here we are suffering

 

[acnumber9]

We played 433 in the second half which helped.

Did we? Looked exactly the same to me. We just played a bit higher up the pitch.

 

[sincher]

Fred played well tonight. McTominay looked a bit off it.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

Unless Ole vomits out two midfielders ready to play by the weekend, this is the best we have.

Did you watch the game? Genuinely they were awful until McTom was subbed.

Work harder than all the others. Don’t matter how good you are you’ve got to work hard

So now we’ve had the empty rhetoric what did them ‘working hard’ get us in tonight’s game? We were losing with them & that first half horrendous.

 

[Hammondo]

It clearly isn't. Not even based on this game, it's over long period of time.

Best we have played in a long time. We were the better team both halves.

 

[NZT-One]

Another game where McFred start, play sh*t for around an hour for subs to occur & the result to change that will be spun as a ‘game we won with the duo starting’.

They’re as bad as any other duo we have & a number of games they start that we win one is pulled off with us drawing or behind.

I think, the main factor wasn't when McT was subbed for Pogba but that Bruno started to stay a bit deeper to stay more connected. Additionally, this was the second game in a row where I think, Shaw tucks deep into the center to support things there as well. At least to some degree.

We have seen what Pogba brings us in the middle of the park - the answer is a change of system (or the way to approach it) not a simple change of personnel.

 

[PlayerOne]

Best we have played in a long time. We were the better team both halves.

We were down by 2 goals in the first-half, is how that good enough? If we play like that against Liverpool they will finish us off in 30 minutes. Also, we played much better when Pogba came on, his composure on the ball made a huge difference.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Did we? Looked exactly the same to me. We just played a bit higher up the pitch.

Bruno dropped deeper and made it a 3 I thought.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

We were down by 2 goals in the first-half, is how that good enough? If we play like that against Liverpool they will finish us off in 30 minutes. Also, we played much better when Pogba came on, his composure on the ball made a huge difference.

I actually saw him sprint as well…..but in all seriousness I like him ore coming of the bench.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

I think, the main factor wasn't when McT was subbed for Pogba but that Bruno started to stay a bit deeper to stay more connected. Additionally, this was the second game in a row where I think, Shaw tucks deep into the center to support things there as well. At least to some degree.

We have seen what Pogba brings us in the middle of the park - the answer is a change of system (or the way to approach it) not a simple change of personnel.

Tactics certainly played a role. They were still shit though. Pogba is no worse in CM than they were this evening.

I think all 3 need replacing but the idea of McFred outweighs the actuality for me.

 

[kouroux]

So much better than vs Leicester.

I'd like to know what you've been smoking

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

I'd like to know what you've been smoking

I’ve got first dibs on the stash mate, back off.